The Best Apps for Managing Your Home Wi-Fi Network

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These apps allow you to monitor, control, and optimize your Wi-Fi network effortlessly, ensuring a seamless connection across all your devices. With features like device management, parental controls, and security settings, they offer comprehensive solutions for a smarter home network.

With the right apps, controlling your home Wi-Fi network becomes a breeze. But with so many options, finding the best one can be daunting.

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Luckily, there are plenty of great choices. Let's take a look at the top picks.

1. GlassWire

GlassWire is a powerful tool with an intuitive interface that caters to many users. Whether you're a home user concerned about privacy or an enterprise seeking advanced network management capabilities, it can help safeguard your digital assets and provide valuable insights into your network's inner workings.

The program's main window is attractive and well-designed, with five icons across the top to select from: Alerts, Graph, Firewall, Things, and Usage. A pull-down menu at the left gives access to settings and help. The program monitors your network in real time and instantly displays your current and past network activity on an easy-to-use graph. This lets you see what apps are communicating with remote servers on your computer, their country of origin and the type of data they're transmitting.

You can also view bandwidth usage in a table and set weekly or monthly data limits that will notify you once you’re close to surpassing them. The app can even monitor other devices connected to your wired or WiFi network and scan for potentially harmful software, enabling you to spot malware, spyware, or badly behaving applications.

2. NetSpot

A secure network is essential to prevent thieves from stealing your bandwidth and hackers from taking control of your machines. NetSpot is one of the best apps for securing your home WiFi network because it can help you detect and eliminate rogue APs and show you unauthorized workstations on your network.

The app also helps you visualize the coverage range of your wireless network using a simple but effective heat map. It shows you exactly how far your signal can reach, whether it's influenced by security settings, mesh configuration or interfering networks.

NetSpot is a comprehensive WiFi planning and surveying solution designed to assist SMBs, homeowners, and IT professionals in optimizing wireless networks. According to the vendor, the software enables you to perform a site survey with Inspector mode, collect and present data about surrounding networks, and analyze, troubleshoot, and improve APs' configurations and performance.

The mobile version of NetSpot provides WiFi scanning and surveying tools, an Internet speed test, and three types of WiFi heat maps. Upon opening the app, you'll see the Welcome screen with three main options: WiFi Inspector, Survey, and Internet Speed Test. Tap the latter to start testing your download and upload speeds.

3. Wardriving Detector

This handy app lets you find the location of wireless access points (APs). Its purpose is to help you monitor unsecured networks, but it’s important to note that wardriving can also be done with malicious intent.

This is because a wardriver can use the software on a smartphone or laptop to scan for open APs and record their data, including connection registration, password, and security level. This can be used to steal personal information, commit online crimes, and even hack into systems.

But despite this, wardriving does have its place in the cybersecurity world as a valuable research tool when conducted under ethical guidelines. It can help researchers build a comprehensive database of WiFi networks, identify potential risks and vulnerabilities, and improve wireless security protocols. This is why using a full-scale security solution like Kaspersky Total Security is essential. This ensures your devices and network are protected from a wide range of threats, like infected device prevention, unauthorized data leakage, password strength protection, and more.

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4. AmpliFi WiFi

The Ubiquiti AmpliFi HD is one of the most straightforward plug-n-play mesh systems available. The router and mesh points (called "Alien") have a unique, appealing design; both are stout black cylinders with rings of yellow-green light around the base. Setup is a snap via an easy-to-use mobile app; there's also a web interface if you prefer. The routers use 3x3 Wi-Fi 5 specs for blazing speed and range, and the Alien can be used with wired backhaul to improve network consistency.

The router has a small, smart LCD screen that displays wireless signal performance. The mesh points have a similar screen, which can be used to check for and perform firmware updates quickly.

The AmpliFi app offers a good mix of management features. Still, it lacks the in-depth customization options that other mesh products offer, such as automatic switching between 2.4 and 5GHz bands, setting up 160MHz wide data channels for backhaul, or giving Gigabit Ethernet ports bandwidth priority. It has a couple of extra settings other apps don't have, including port-forwarding and some essential Parental Control functions. It also supports Teleport VPN for remote access to your home network when you're away.

5. Netgear Nighthawk

The Nighthawk app is a simple-to-use platform for managing your NETGEAR devices and services. It offers a clear dashboard that provides high-level information about your network, WiFi settings, internet speed, and parental control and security settings.

The router features always-on WiFi and a wireless backup option that saves LTE data while Ethernet works. It also has a feature that prioritizes certain data packets or clients for better performance. The router's long-range performance is solid and it comes with subscription-based security and parental controls that can be managed via the app.

 

The Nighthawk is a cool little device, but not cool enough to justify its premium price tag. It would be a more appealing travel router if it had less clunky power management and a mobile app that didn't require you to physically open the cover and remove the battery to access the controls. Still, it's a solid choice for your home.